The Spell That Binds
by Knights of the blue flame
Summary: For the six heroes, a happy ending is nothing more than a dream that they all must wake up from. But what if the events that occurred in the past were different? What if the heroes who saved mankind were given the chance to save themselves?
1. Chapter 1

(Greetings, this is my first official writing and I'm really excited to share it. I got into Blazblue around last December and have thrown my self into its world with no regrets. I love everything from Blazblue, but the Six Heroes story has enthralled me constantly. My personal favorite of the group is the beautiful witch Nine. The lack of stories on her or the heroes in general was a driving point, but I've planned to write stories on Blazblue for quite some time. This story is written with the knowledge I've gained from Chronophantasma, so I apologize if it contradicts anything from the Phase Shift novels. I hope this increases the love for the Six Heroes, because they really deserve it. Hope you guys enjoy and reviews are very much appreciated.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Blazblue

Chapter 1: The Man Named Yuuki Terumi

Underneath the hauntingly elegant Alucard Manor lied an intricate set of tunnels that led to an area known as "Oblivion". It was used to seal entities that were considered dangerous to an other worldly degree. Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, servant of the honored Alucard family, had been instructed by Clavis Alucard, head of the Alucard family, to lead beastkin warrior Mitsuyoshi and the great witch "Nine" to the sacred sealing area.

She had requested access to oblivion on the grounds that in order to defeat the Black Beast, the power from an individual who resided there was needed.

It was none other than Yuuki Terumi

Terumi...he had caused Nine much trouble before. The decision to release him was something that was constantly questioned, but there was no other way. Mankind was on its last legs against the beast, further delay of action would only ensure the death of the entire world. But the desire to protect her sister was the real driving point for her decision to release Terumi.

One of the Ten Sages, Nine was extremely powerful and dangerously smart. Once Terumi outlived his usefulness, she would do the world a favor and rid him of his existence. The female sage was sure that nothing would go wrong, she would make sure of it.

And so the three traveled through the tunnels, each content with staying to themselves. Valkenhayn carried a lantern to illuminate the dark tunnels, as he had not walked through them for quite sometime. Getting lost in there meant death, as only the correct path to the sealing grounds was known and nothing else. The spiky haired servant kept his eyes and mind focused on follow the correct path while Mitsuyoshi whistled harmonically and Nine played with her hair.

After a long travel, they reached the end of their path. Strangely, only a large body of water greeted them.

"We've arrived at our destination, Master Mitsuyoshi, Madam Nine".

The pair starred at Valkenhayn and the water in confusion.

"When did the time come when your not so average foe was sealed inside of a pool?". Mitsuyoshi frowned

Valkenhayn chuckled,"What you see here is the exit of oblivion".

"Exit?, weren't you leading us to the entrance?".

"Quite the contrary, only those being sealed can naturally enter oblivion. This water acts as gate for those who wish to both enter and leave oblivion. To enter, all you must do is go under the water and you'll be taken to oblivion. It is much better suited to the task we are trying to complete".

"I get it, so this is the only way we can pull out that terumi fella".

"Indeed. Lord Clavis has adjusted the seal so that we'll have ten minutes to occupy oblivion before we are returned back here. We must acquire terumi in that time frame".

Nine smirked,"A complex sealing method, I guess Clavis isn't just bag of bones after all".

As soon as those words escaped her mouth, Valkenhayn's fist made swift contact with the wall, cracking an unbelievable amount of it.

"Watch your tongue, witch"

Nine simply ignored him,"As much as I hate swimming, it's time to go grab our little friend in there". She kicked off her high heels as Mitsuyoshi headed closer towards her.

"No, stay here with wolf boy"

"But..."

"I can handle myself, I don't need the two you "accidentally" killing him".

Mitsuyoshi's expression intensified,"You shouldn't underestimate him, he's dangerous!".

She smirked again, Mitsuyoshi was usually a very laid back individual. Barring topics concerning the Black Beast, he never got this excited about anything. Strong as Terumi was, she doubted he could beat Mitsuyoshi. And she doubted that either of them could beat her.

So what was the reason behind his behavior?

"Do you think that he can kill me?. It's not nice to underestimate your comrades".

"It's not that"

"Ah...I get it now. You think that us being alone means that he's going to sweep me off my feet steal me from you". She giggled

"What?"

"It's just like I tell Celica, men only have one thing on there mind".

"..."

She smiled at the now confused and embarrassed cat and walked over towards him, placing her hat on his head.

"Close your eyes"

"Huh?"

Nine gently lifted two of her fingers and made a downwards motion with them, closing his left eye.

"Wha?"

"Shhhhh..."

She then pulled him in for a deep kiss. For him, it seemed like an eternity that there lips locked. Valkenhayn looked away, but smiled when he thought how great the two looked together.

She then pulled away, much to his disappointment. Patting his head gently, she motioned towards the water.

"Keep him in one piece for me wolf boy". Valkenhayn nodded.

She then jumped into the water, surprised that it was actually warm. But she would have preferred swimming in ice cold water over what came next.

Her body was dragged down by an unseen force, robbing her of the air she kept within herself. She was then dragged in variety of directions, wondering if lack of air or the water pressure would be her end. Finally, as if gravity it self had a grudge against her, Nine's body was shot upwards like a speeding bullet towards the water's surface.

She gasped for air, her head ached and her entire body felt sore. She couldn't see much of anything, only able to make out what appeared to be a blue flame in the distance. She swam to a section of dry land and rolled herself onto it. She lied on the floor completely soaked and no energy to do anything about it.

As the water slowly drained from her ears, she heard what sounded like a clicking noise.

_Click...Click...Click...Click...Click...Click...Click...Click...Click..._

She stood up, using all her strength to delay a reunion with the ground. The noise sounded like it was getting closer. She couldn't pinpoint the origin, but it was getting closer.

_CLICK...CLICK...CLICK..._

In front of her. She was sure the noise was coming from in front of her. She prepared a fireball instantly and threw it with great speed. She listened, the fireball made contact with nothing , but the noise ceased.

And then it was replaced by chilling and sinister voice

"Mmmm...I thought dinner was never going to be served".

The very water that coated her seemed to drop in temperature.

"Oh?...They skipped over dinner and gave me desert instead?. Yum!"

A males voice. She recognized it instantly. It would be incredibly difficult to ever forget that voice. Worse than that, it was once again coming from in front of her...

"Its been awhile, my sweet Ms. Konoe Mercury"

"Don't you dare call me that"

"hehehehehehehe...HAHAHAHAHA...OR ELSE WHAT BITCH!?"

As soon he ceased speaking, pain shot up her entire body. She looked down, horrified by what the outcome was. A multitude of snakes surrounded the spot where she stood. They quickly coiled around various places of her body, making movement impossible. A snake began to coil around her neck, forcing her to look up as the figure become fully visible.

"Yuuki...Terumi..."

He grinned at her, removing his hood and revealing his spiky green hair, that looked so sharp that it could skewer her just by staring at it. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a strange type of blade. He then flipped the blade open and pointed at her while slowly walking toward her.

"Feeling scared yet?"

"...ugh..."

She couldn't speak, the snake coiling her neck wouldn't allow her to speak.

"Awww...you're not being real fun right now. Maybe I should hold back a bit?".

She looked at him with murderous intent, wanting to destroy everything about him. He saw this and only laughed, as she was completely at his mercy.

"HAHAHAHAHA...OUROBOROS RIP THAT BITCH UP!".

The snakes complied, squeezing her ever so tightly. As he excitedly awaited the bloodshed, her body began to dissolve into water. At first a look of confusion plastered his face, only to return to his signature wicked grin.

"Elemental magic eh?.Glad you're planning making this interesting, because I like a little fight with my bite".

He walked over to the puddle where "Nine" once stood, making a strange motion with his right hand as he did so. The snakes then began to slither into a straight line and formed a chain like object with a serpent's head as the front.

It was the sinister Nox Nyctores. Geminus Anguium: Ouroboros.

However, as he reached towards his prized weapon, it wrapped around his body with insane speed. In an instant, he found himself in Nine's very situation. It coiled around him so tight that he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"What the hell!?...let go of me Ouroboros!"

As he struggled on the ground, his head was slammed on by a foot.

"Don't tell me this all the fun you can handle, terumi".

As much as it pained him, he twisted he head upwards and saw her, the pink haired witch with a smirk plastered on his face. Angered, Terumi clenched his fists with such strength that he began to bleed from them.

"How!?"

"Illusion magic. The moment you revealed your self to me was when my spell took effect, swapping your entire existence for mine. Your weapon is under the spell's effect, thinking that you are me. Trust me, it's not that complicated".

"You bitch!".

She increased pressure on head.

"You keep using that word and I don't like it. You could take some lessons from wolf boy".

"Spare me your shitty advice. What the hell do you want?"

"To talk"

"Go talk to your pet cat, I have don't have a damn word to say to you".

She continued to put pressure on Terumi's head. He then gave out a small chuckle.

"On second thought, if you're gonna give me such a great view, then speak away".

It took her moment to realize that his position allowed him to see up her skirt. Agitated, she kicked his head with such might that it could have decapitated him.

"DAMN YOU!"

"Tch...annoying pig"

Nine then remembered what Valkenhayn had stated about the sealing grounds. Ten minutes was all she had, and a large portion of it had run out. She needed to make her move and fast.

"We need your power defeat the black beast".

"I couldn't care less on what YOU or any of those assholes need".

She bit her lip, it looked like she would have to do things the hard way. But she preferred it this way anyway.

"I really need to stop this "being nice" thing celica keeps talking about".

"Goddamn, will shut your annoying ass voice up!?".

She then locked her hands together and began to chant, Terumi becoming even more angered by this. He knew the next spell she was planning on using, and killed him inside to know he could do nothing about it. He squirmed around like a worm, unable to accept what was about to come.

"SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPGODDAMNYOUSHUTUP!"

She then placed two fingers his on his forehead as she spoke...

"Mind Eater"

It was over. No more thoughts passed through his head. No sounds came from his mouth. No movement came from his body. He was practically dead. She sighed in relief, it went smoother than expected. She snapped her fingers, dispelling Ouroboros from his body.

Nine needed to make sure her spell had worked, so she put some distance between them. After walking far enough, she took a deep breath.

"Rise"

It took a moment, but Terumi's body began to lift itself from the ground. It stood up with almost no sign of life behind it. She motioned for him to come closer, and surely enough he did.

"Heh...not so tough now are you?".

He gave no response, but that was to be expected. In a way, Nine was disappointed because she secretly wanted him to pose a challenge. Months ago, she would have stated that she could single handedly defeat the Black Beast. Mitsuyoshi had to rid her of that arrogant thought, but she still felt truth in those words.

Suddenly, the blue flame she noticed from before had flared. It began to spread throughout the room with great speed. Nine locked hands with Terumi and, before she knew it, the both of them were consumed by the flames.

...

She wasn't quite what had happened, but what Nine did know is that she instantly found herself with water again. She rose to the surface, gasping for air once more.

"Nine!", Mitsuyoshi called out.

He jumped into the water and placed her on his back. He could see that she was completely exhausted, so he swam towards the dry ground as fast as he could.

"Are you alright?".

She gave out a tired laugh,"Hell no, where's terumi?".

He pointed at the wall where Valkenhayn stood, Terumi leaning against it.

"So it worked?"

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?".

"A witch that needs to control her temper".

She smiled, it was always comforting to talk to Mitsuyoshi like this. She usually hated men, as Celica's friend Ragna had been a victim of this hatred only months before. But since meeting him and Mitsuyoshi, she became a softer individual. And both her sister and the beastkin warrior enjoyed this change.

Mitsuyoshi placed something on her head,"Here's your hat back".

"I sure missed it", she said with an ever growing smile.

Valkenhayn picked up her high heels and the lantern.

"Well then, I think its time that we were on our way. Shall we?".

They began to exit the tunnel. Indeed, it was time. Mankind finally had the power to battle the beast. The stage was set. The battle for the would future would begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Reunions

The sky above Ishana was so clear and beautiful, as if it gave life to the earth itself. No other day could match this one, it truly was amazing.

Atop of one of Ishana's many large buildings, stood a man who watched over the magical city almost like a godly figure.

"A day such as this...even I am caught by its spell".

His appearance could have described by many words, but normal definitely was not among them. He wore a strange suit of armor that came complete with a long blade that was attached to his back. His face was completely hidden thanks to smooth feature-less white mask. His long silver hair was also necessary of mention, as it complimented his hero-like appearance.

He was Hakumen, one of the legendary Six Heroes. The group who had defeated the black beast months ago. Hakumen, Jubei, Terumi, Trinity, Valkenhayn, and Nine. They stood against the monster that almost destroyed everything. Some still had a purpose in the world. But for Hakumen, it was always a constant battle of figure out what his purpose was and what his future held. Neither of them looked like they going anywhere, however.

Hakumen stood atop the building and sighed.

"Well now, this is a pretty strange place to find a hero"

Hakumen recognized the voice, though he had not heard it for quite awhile.

"The cat...it has been some time"

Hakumen turned around to face the familar individual. It was Jubei, formely known as Mitsuyoshi, the legendary beastkin warrior and a fellow member of the six heroes. He was among the few that Hakumen would call a friend.

The cat warrior walked over to a nearby wall, set his blades that strapped to his back aside, and sat down. The appearance he gave off was a weak and tired one, something that hakumen noticed immediately.

"I take it you have been searching for me for quite awhile"

"Sure have. Reckon we could have a chat before you go off and disappear again"

As much as Hakumen respected Jubei, he certainly wasn't an idiot. When anyone bothered to seek him out, it was because they needed something from him.

"I do not wish to be rude, but I would rather you get to the point and state what business the witch has with me"

Jubei chuckled,"You think i'm here because nine sent me?"

"Your devotion to her knows no bounds. It could be compared to the very earth we stand upon. To add on, it would not be the first time"

"You got me there. And I would be lying if I said it had nothing to do with nine. But believe me when I say that I came here to simply talk with one of my closest friends"

Hakumen sighed, feeling bad for not letting one his closest allies know of his travels or whereabouts. But at the end of the day, he was his own man with his own demons to confront. Out of respect, he walked towards the wall and sat against it.

"So...how have things been going on since my departure?"

"To get the bad news out of the way, Clavis Alucard has died"

"That is most unfortunate, he was a great help in ending the dark war. May he rest in peace"

Jubei closed his eyes and thought to himself

_Yeah...the same...with bloodedge_

"And of Valkenhayn?"

"He's watching over Clavis' daughter who is currently locked in a deep slumber. He won't leave the castle, though that's to be expected"

"What about Trinity Glassfille?"

"To be honest, I don't really keep up with her too often. I can't really tell you what she's doing as of now"

"And you?"

"I'm planning on settling down soon. Me and Nine want to start a family. Fighting just isn't my thing anymore"

"Basically retirement?"

"Yeah, an overdue one at that"

For a moment, only silence followed. Then, Hakumen had spoken again

"What about terumi?"

"His situation is sort of...complex"

"Meaning?"

"Nine put him under another spell so that he would be more than just a lifeless puppet. Apparently, this spell gives him a personality that somewhat resembles his previous one while keeping him under contol. To put it simply, he's a much more toned down terumi than the one we previously knew"

Jubei could quickly tell that Hakumen was not pleased with what he just said, as the man in the silver armor stood up and clenched his fists. His voice also grew more agitated.

"Evil is not a toy. While I am grateful for her help in ending the dark war, this is something I cannot condone"

Jubei stood up as well. He didn't like the way Hakumen was doubting Nine. More importantly, he felt as if Hakumen was threatening her life.

"This is nine we're talking about. She wouldn't doing something for her own gain, and she wouldn't do something without fully understanding what it was that she was doing"

"Was she not the one who planned to destroy the serpent once he was of no more use?"

"Like I said, things right now are complex. You can't go around spreading your brand of justice at a whim, especially when there are complications"

Before Hakumen could respond, he had sensed an additional presence. He couldn't identify it, but it possessed a great magnitude of power. Hakumen quickly took out his sword, bringing it in contact to his mask.

"It is impolite to eavesdrop on other's conversations"

He raised his blade upward, a white energy surrounded it instantly

"Empty sky form..."

He turned around almost instantaneously, swinging his sword downwards which fired the 'white energy that resided in his weapon. It sliced the ground that it traveled upon into two.

"SUMMER'S ADVANCE!"

"That was your only warning, show yourself or prepare to experience my blade's justice"

"Well now, that's not a nice way to greet your friends"

A couple of seconds later, a figure began to emerge from thin air. It was terumi, an out of character terumi at that. He wasn't sporting his usual yellow coat, and he had what appeared to be roses in his right hand. But none of that mattered to Hakumen, except the fact that he could sense no evil or murderous intent from the green haired man.

Jubei stood up,"Terumi? What are you doing here?"

Terumi grinned,"Nine sent me to fetch you kitty. She has some free time on her hands and she wants to see you"

Jubei's expression changed from suprised and confused to excited. It was like a child being told what they received for Christmas. But he quickly remembered about Hakumen, and his expression changed from excited to torn.

His closest ally who he had not seen in awhile, or his lover who rarely had time to see him?

Who was it that deserved his time?

"You should go cat. She deserves your company much more than me"

"But..."

"I do not plan on leaving ishana so soon. We will have plenty of time to catch up later, so do not put your life on hold for me"

Jubei felt relived, as if fate was working its magic on him.

"Deal. Don't go off when I turn my back on you"

"I would not even think of it"

"Terumi, where is nine right now?"

Terumi began walking over towards the two.

"Oh you know, at Orbis Librarius Norma HQ"

"That far?"

"Don't worry kitty, Nine crafted something that'll get us there in a flash"

He reached into his pocket and retrieved what appeared to be a flask.

"What is it?"

"A special teleportation potion that will have us there faster than you can say hakky's motto"

He opened the flask and took a quick swig of the potion and then handed it to Jubei. Seconds later, Terumi had vanished. Neither Hakumen nor Jubei could sense his presence anymore. Cautiously, Jubei drank some of the potion.

"Well my friend, this is good bye for now"

"So long for now"

As soon as they stopped speaking, Jubei's body vanished from the rooftop.

Hakumen simply stood on the rooftop, alone once more. He grew accustomed to it by now, so it wouldn't bother him to much

But would it always be like this?

...

Suddenly, the beastkin found himself in a room that was completely red. Dazed from the instantaneous travel, he sat himself down for a moment to regain control over his body.

"So nice of you to finally join us kitty"

The cat quickly turned his head around, greeted by familliar faces. Terumi, Trinity, and Nine all sat at table. He was met by smiles from Terumi and Trinity, but a stoic expression was stationed on Nine's face.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Trinity spoke,"I don't quite think it's that, or else she would have been more verbal by now"

Nine raised her hand to advocate silence,"Could the two of you give us a moment?"

Terumi had stood up, taking Trinity's hand and leading her out of the room. Jubei saw that she was in possession of the roses, assuming that the spiky haired man had got them for her. He couldn't believe it. Terumi was in a relationship. With Trinity of all people. Nine and her spells really created something this time, Jubei thought.

As soon as the door shut, the witch set her hat on the table. She then got up and walked towards Jubei. He did something wrong, a thought that kept repeating in his mind. As he awaited for the slap, she got in front of him, got on her knees, and kissed him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want them to see me like this. Are you feeling ok?"

"Never better, why?"

"This new potion is still fairly new, and it already makes me want to pull my hair out"

"Why, it got me here pretty quickly"

"How long do you think it took you to arrive?"

"Not longer than a couple of seconds"

"Yeah? Well for us it took 3 hours"

He seemed puzzled, Terumi and him both took the drink around the same time. But he did remember that it was made only recently. Of course, the pink haired witch would use them as guinea pigs

"So you were worried about me then. I'm actually touched"

"Oh shut up, you act as if I hate you or something. Do you need to be reminded that I was the one who wanted you here?"

She stood up, walking towards a door that led to a balcony area. She entered, quickly positioning her self on the rail.

"Well, if you're fine then we should cal-"

Her words ended abruptly, giving no warning to what happened next. Her entire body slid over the rail, stopping all the beatings in his chest.

"NINE!"

He ran towards the balcony with insane speed and looked down. She wasn't moving. She was heading for the streets below, and fast. Without a second thought, he jumped after the lifeless looking witch.

_Please, don' t die_


	3. Chapter 3

(Major apologies to those who read the last two chapters. I had finished this one awhile back but exams kept me from fixing anything I was unsatisfied with.)

Chapter 3: The Beast

_Everything seemed as if it had just stopped. Her body stood in place, rather it hovered in darkness. It seemed as if she was in a pitch black void. She wondered if she was dead, as it was one of the only few explanations that would have made sense. Truth be told, she believed death had enough reasons to snatch her up at any time._

_"Please don't die"_

_A girl's voice rang throughout the darkness_

_"What?"_

_"You mustn't die. You've been granted a chance to your terrible fate. Believe me when I say that I will assist you in any way that I can, but ultimately it is up to you to find the right path."_

_"You're speaking in riddles, care to explain it again? And maybe this time, explain it clearly?"_

_The voice simply chuckled_

_"You'll find all of your answers with the beast"_

_"That's even more confusing than your last statement"_

_"I cannot intervene too much, this is your journey after all"_

_"You just said you would help me"_

_"Yes, your point?"_

_The woman grew annoyed_

_"Alright, how about you answer this then. Why of all times to speak to me in riddles, did it have to be when i'm falling to my death? Even with my casting time, putting on a resistance spell before I end up as a stain will be easier said than done."_

_"My apologies, but it was now or never i'm afraid. But don't fret, your hero will surely save you. I eagerly await our next meeting, Konoe."_

_"Don't call me that"_

_"That temper is just something that I adore about you"_

* * *

Nine's body shocked back into consciousness while still falling to the ground. Jubei was able to catch up to her and quickly moved under her to absorb the brunt of the impact.

She wasn't going to die. He couldn't save bloodedge, but he would save her. The pain of not being able to do anything always haunted him. He couldn't go through something like that again.

Before they collided with the ground, something wrapped around them preventing the painful impact. It was a long green chain that glowed dark green. It steadily pulled them back towards the balcony.

"See trinity? Eavesdropping isn't so bad after all"

Terumi's voice never sounded so sweet. Ouroboros gently placed the two on the balcony. Dizziness aside, the two were in perfect condition. But that didn't stop Trinity from assaulting Nine with a death crushing hug and a barrage of tears.

"Trinity, i'm fine. There's no reason for you to waste tears on me"

But the blonde simply wouldn't let go, and continued to flood tears onto Nine's chest. Seeing no other choice, she returned Trinity's embrace.

Jubei had turned to toward Terumi, who also turned away from the water works as well. He starred at him in awe. He saved them. _Yuuki Terumi saved them._ Jubei always knew that magic was an extremely powerful art that could change many things. It saved the world from total destruction after all. But to completely change a man himself was unheard of.

"Terumi...", said Jubei

"Yes?"

"Thanks for saving our asses"

Terumi turned to Jubei, his usual grin ever so evident on his face.

"Don't mention it kitty. We are buddies after all, right?"

Before the cat could respond, Trinity's wailing grew in volume. Sighing, Terumi walked over toward the female mages and, like a crowbar to a manhole, tried to pry her from Nine's body.

"C'mon Trinity, any more water works from you is going to end up in her melting away"

After a moment, she let go of the pink haired witch. Terumi pulled Trinity to the side, removed her glasses, and wiped away her tears.

"How about we take this dilemma inside, shall we?"

The atmosphere was tense inside the room. After hearing Nine's story, the idea of a pleasant reunion went down the drain. Everyone had oddly stationed themselves away from one another.

"You'll find all of your answers with the beast. What could it mean?"

The blonde mage pondered over the statement over and over again. Who was it that contacted Nine? Was was there intention? What answers was she supposed to finding?

"Nothing but gibberish and nonsense", said Nine, who seemed unfazed by her near death experience,"Don't look too much in to it ."

"This almost ending up killing you, of course i'm going to try and understand it"

"But I don't want you to end up killing yourself over this either. I'm most likely just losing my mind."

Nine hated to see people fuss over her as much as she hated to fuss over others. But it was hopeless around trinity, who made assisting others her favorite pastime.

"You seem to be taking this pretty well, despite the fact that you almost died", said Jubei

"This definitely isn't the strangest thing to happen to me", said Nine

"Can you at least try to make sense of the situation?"

"Can I have some reasons as to why I should do so?"

"Because everyone in this room is trying to understand this for you. I'm thinking you just don't want people involved in any that pertains to you."

"Everyone?"

Nine pointed at Terumi. He sat in the corner of the room, his hood covering his eyes.

"Terumi doesn't count. As far as I heard sleeping is his answer to every question in book"

"I have feelings too you know. Plus I saved you lovers from entering a relationship with the ground", muttered Terumi in a tired voice.

"So now you're justifying your laziness?"

"All in a days work for a hero such as myself. Now excuse me while i'll reward myself with a nap"

Without warning, a sharp gust of wind entered the room from the open balcony door. Nine recognized the sensation the wind gave off. It signaled _his_ presence.

"Eavesdropping now are we? When did you acquire some of terumi's traits?"

A second later, a large figure appeared upon the balcony with a loud thud.

"Do not compare me to your pet snake. My actions are for the sake of peace and justice, while his are nothing more than childish amusement. Furthermore, anything that involves the beast and the seeds of evil that it plants shall be dealt with by my blade. That is final."

Nine carefully examined Hakumen's words

"So you came to the same conclusion as well"

"It should be obvious. Are you aware of any other beasts that threaten the fate of the world merely by existing?"

In an instant, the witch's heel slammed down against the floor. She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and tightly closed her eyes. A rage began to consume her entire being. It made her want to incinerate the very building they occupied. Her hands. They couldn't stop shaking.

"GODDAMN IT!"

One year. One year to prepare humanity for the threat of the black beast. One year filled with nothing but aggravating days and sleepiness nights. One year where the fate of the world rested entirely on her shoulders. Isolated from the ones she cared about, forced to work with the ones she despised. It brought tears to her eyes when the vile creature finally met it's end after many hardships.

Why? Why did it still haunt her? Why did fate deem this acceptable? Why?

Jubei motioned towards Nine to ease her distress, but was stopped by her intense gaze that sent chills throughout his body.

"Don't", she said with a hint killing intent.

"Do not draw your anger towards the cat, this is out of his control as much as it is yours. Fury is acceptable, pushing your loved ones away is not", said Hakumen

"I worked my flesh and bones off over the course of an entire year to ensure that I would have control over what happened with the black beast. Don't tell me what is and isn't acceptable"

Trinity's irresistible voice calmed the tension,"But the difference is that you now have us to help you. It won't be like those agonizing nights where everyone relied on you. You can rely on others now. You can rely on us"

As if strengthening those words, Hakumen spoke,"Do not misunderstand, I have not come to criticize you. You have lent humanity your valuable time Nine, and for that I am grateful. To repay that debt which humanity has not paid, I will lend you my sword without hesitation."

With those words, the rage that consumed her began to dissipate from her body. The feeling of emptiness...Was it passing?. She wasn't sure. She was used to it for so long that the only way she knew how to deal with it was by the emotion of anger.

In that moment, she felt oddly light. It was as if she had come to peace within herself. She quickly walked over to Jubei and, in contrast to her cold glare, gave him a loving embrace.

She whispered into the beastkin's ear,"Please, forgive me."

He let out a small laugh,"It wouldn't be first time you gave me that look."

"I'm not talking about that"

"Then what?"

"All those nights we were separate, I hated them so much. All those times I pushed you away when I needed you the most, I regret them to no end."

His voice became hoarse,"Stop it. You know that I would never hold those things against you. You spent an entire year figuring out how to save humanity when the rest of us couldn't. You could never put my life over your own sister, I understand completely."

Her embrace became tighter, as if she never wanted to let go of him again.

"I missed you"

Tears began to flow down the beastkin's face.

"I missed you too"

As they embraced each other, a groaning voice from Terumi was heard.

"I ask for a nap and I get soap opera instead. Lovely"

* * *

They decided that the situation required immediate attention. It did concern the black beast after all.

"I'll teleport us to the remains. The sooner we end this nonsense, the better", Said nine who was searching her desk for a spell book.

As if in a classroom, Terumi raised his hand. Nine wasn't interested in whatever he had to say, so she ignored him. But this proved difficult as he began to shake his arm around, earning him a soft giggle from Trinity.

"Must you be so annoying when there are serious matters at hand?", said an irritated Hakumen.

"And I repeat, I have feelings too you know. I just want to ask Nine if I can sit this one out."

It was something stupid. Of course. She wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"Like hell you are. You seem to forget that I practically own you."

"Damn. That one really hurt"

"Think of as payback for ruining the moment before"

She would never admit it openly, but she needed him. It was the whole reason she freed him from Oblivion to begin with. His power was needed to defeat the black beast, so of course she wanted to bring him once more. Plus, his laziness wasn't going to get him out of this one.

After rummaging through her desk, Nine found her spell book that contained efficient teleportation spells. The last time she used one was during the underground laboratory incident where bloodedge had sacrificed himself to halt the black beast's carnage. They required an abundance of energy to use and even more to ensure that teleportation went smoothly. She hated using them, which is why she attempted to create alternative methods at transportation. But this was far from the time to be picky of the options given to her.

She walked toward to the balcony, opened the book to a specific page, and began to chant. Soon after, a large circle appeared on the ground.

"It's ready, everyone in"

One by one they stepped into the circle. Trinity began to chant as well, surrounding everyone in a light aura.

"Everyone is secure under my seither protection barrier, Nine"

Nine responded by snapping her fingers.

In a flash, the entire environment around them had gone from peaceful to dreadful. The once clear blue sky was replaced by a blood-red one. The air felt heavy and unbearably hot. Nothing but rocks stained with black were to be seen in their immediate area. An ash like substance rained from the sky, giving off a hellish vibe to the already disturbing locale. It was difficult to determine what kind of landscape they were in, though it did resemble a canyon.

"Not even a minute in and this place is already has ME depressed. Where the hell are we Nine?", said Terumi.

"The burial ground of the black beast. It's known as "Inferno" among members of the magic guild", said Nine.

Inferno. It was the solution to the hazardous seither the black beast's body gave off. Originally, the magic guild split parts of the creature around the world in an effort to lower the concentration of seither. But this proved far too difficult. So it was decided to place a large barrier surrounding the remains of the monster and have the location impossible to find by conventional means.

The sound of a sword being removed from it's sheathe was heard.

"A vile grave for a vile creature. It does not surprise me in the least", said Hakumen, who's voice carried a touch of anger."The direction witch, so I may end this nightmare once and for all."

Nine closed her eyes in an effort to focus on sensing another presence in the area. She felt something faint, but it was definitely a presence.

"It's up ahead"

The group walked forward with Hakumen taking to lead. He seemed to be the only one not effected by the morbid environment. It was hard to tell if it was due to his armor or his sheer will. They walked for quiet some time, indicated by the darkening of the sky with the passing of their steps. Silence stood by as they trudged through the uneasy landscape of inferno. It was the journey through oblivion all over again minus the comforting butler. They had finally reached an enormous crater that was obviously not made by human meddling. Peering into it, they soon realized why.

Though not impossible, it was rather difficult to discern what lied at the bottom. It was completely shaded black, had a multitude of what appeared to be heads, and surrounded by a lake of black fluid. It's size was much too big to conceal it from being seen from a god's eyes, much less a human. And the aura that it gave off was so great that walking closer to it might have crushed anyone who dared draw closer to it.

This was all that remained of the Black Beast after it's downfall by the hands of the Six Heroes.

"I do not know why or how fate has sparred you, but i'll shall purge you from this earth one more", said Hakumen, who clenched his sword tightly.

"No, it's not that", said Nine

"What do you mean?"

She pointed to an object that was farther than the gigantic corpse. It appeared to a severed head of the black beast. It most likely rotted away from the main body due to it's own seither it produced.

"The presence is coming from there, no doubt about it"

She could feel it. It resembled a heart beat that was on the verge of ending permanently. Whatever answers she was supposed to find would most likely be found in that fraction of the beast. This distance was closer compared to the previous one, so Nine had no trouble teleporting them directly near the severed head with a snap of her fingers.

Being in front of it was a much different story compared to simply starring at it from afar. It looked like demonic version of a vicious serpent. It's teeth were exposed with a black ooze flowing out of its mouth. It's once red eyes were were now an black indicating that it had indeed met it's demise.

Hakumen gazed at the serpents head,"I too feel a presence within this rotting mouth. It is very weak but ignoring it would be difficult."

Jubei groaned,"Not trying to be funny or anything but am I the only one confused right now?"

"I'm still trying to figure out why the hell I can't sense anything here. I am one HELL of a mage you know", said Terumi with an ounce of arrogance in his voice.

Trinity placed her hand on her chin as if pondering,"There could be a possibility that it could only be sensed by Nine and Hakumen."

Terumi starred at her in awe,"Are you telling me that you of all people can't sense it?"

She nodded. Trinity was no master at sensory magic, but she was no slouch either. If she couldn't detect anything then it usually meant there was nothing to detect.

Hakumen starred into to the black eyes of the beast, clenching his blade even tighter than before,"It does not matter if we all can or cannot detect it. I will eradicate this gluttonous sin with one swing of my sword."

Nine continued to sense the presence from the severed head. She could pinpoint something under the beasts left eye, but couldn't identify what exactly it was. It didn't feel human. It didn't feel apart of the beast. _It actually made her sick._ If she could put it into words, it felt dark. Not evil or violent, just dark.

She finally spoke,"Hear me out for a second Hakumen"

"I'm listening"

"I don't think the black beast itself is the actual reason that we're here"

"Nonsense, you can it feel too. This dark and empty sensation that poisons the very air we currently breathe. I do not know of any other beings capable of giving off this aura. The beast is the one who gives off this sensation, nothing else"

"How stubborn. You haven't changed one bit"

"Neither have you, but that is discussion for another time. So let me ask you this, do you want proof that the beast still lives?"

Nine looked at him in confusion,"What's that?"

The moment her words reached his ears, Hakumen began running toward the severed head with great speed.

"Witness as I lay justice to the demons who dare threaten the order this world. Empty Sky Form: Mugen!"

The silver haired man reached beast's mouth. Then, he leaped off the ground to an incredible height. To end his incredible feat, he slashed the enormous eye wide open. This action wasn't without consequences, as a crimson gas quickly escaped the wound he laid upon the deceased creature. It quickly engulfed both Hakumen and the gigantic head and showed no indication of ceasing.

"What the hell?", were the only words able to escape from Nine's mouth.

Jubei let out a laugh,"Leave it to good old hakumen to piss off something that's already dead"

"That's my line, and I think we should get out of here before that red shit eats us up too", said Terumi.

With another snap of Nine's fingers they were removed from the approaching gas and above the crater like minutes before. They could do nothing but watch as the crater was slowly filled with the red vapor.

After a moment, Terumi looked around

"Hey Nine, why isn't our gloomy leader here with us?"

She immediately thought the same thing. Why didn't Hakumen appear with them? The spell she used had ensured that everyone would be transported if she activated it.

"I don't know", she shrugged,"But it sounds like your disappointed for some strange reason"

"Do you think he'll be alright?", said Trinity

Terumi wrapped his arm her,"Of course, you have no reason to worry yourself. On a list of things that can kill our hakky, colored air isn't one of them"

She gave off a gentle smile after hearing those words. Truth be told, it wasn't that Terumi possessed a silver tongue or anything. It was that she could appreciate the way he spoke as opposed to someone like Nine who only heard annoying banter from his mouth.

Suddenly, something shot out from the advancing red mist. They recognized it as Hakumen, who took skies once more and outdid his previous performance. Recognizing the opportunity given to her, Nine snapped her fingers once more.

With a loud thud, Hakumen appeared before the group. Something was slung over his shoulder which gained a chuckle from Terumi.

"I never took you as the souvenir guy. Guess you really are changing"

Ignoring Terumi, Hakumen turned to Nine,"I apologize for refusing your spell nine. I simply need a few more seconds to accomplish my task."

She raised an eyebrow,"You refused my teleportation? That's a new one. You'll have to explain it to me when we get back. So remind me, what exactly was this task of yours?"

He knelt down and placed the object on the ground. Upon examination, she saw that it was actually a person that Hakumen carried out of the fog. This fact alone would have been completely shocking given the entire situation. But it was nothing compared to the moment she took closer look at the individual.

It was a man with white hair, wearing nothing but black clothing. His dark appearance was complimented by his right arm, which took the form of large, sinister claw.

The blood in her body went cold,"That's..."

"Undeniable proof that the sin we have slayed still plagues this world"


End file.
